Day 1 Lisboa / Obidos / Alcobaça / Nazare / Batalha / Fatima (217km)

By a landscape rich in windmills and fruit trees we arrive in Óbidos, surrounded by medieval walls where we can admire the harmony of architecture, the diversity of handicrafts and taste the famous ginginha (bitter cherry liqueur). Visit Alcobaça with the first and largest gothic church in Portugal with the tombs of D. Pedro and Ines de Castro, known by its love story. Stopping in Nazare, a typical fishing village and seaside resort, with its traditions and legends. We continue to Batalha visiting the Monastery of Santa Maria de Victoria, a gothic masterpiece of Portugal where we can find the tomb of Henry the Navigator, the promoter of the maritime discoveries. Then onto Fatima, the famous Marian Shrine, perhaps assist with the Candle procession.

Overnight Fatima.

Day 2 Fatima / Coimbra / Aveiro / Oporto (270km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Coimbra for a visit of the University, one of the oldest in the world, with its magnificent baroque library and its unique atmosphere characterised by ancient traditions and customs such as the black cape of the students and the melancholic fado music. Visit Santa Clara Church, where lies the tomb of Queen St. Isabel, the protagonist of the miracle of the roses. In the centre you can admire the exclusive ceramic of Coimbra. In the afternoon we continue to Aveiro, the city of canals, known as the Portuguese Venice, where you shall have time to see thegraceful boats “moliceiros” and taste the local sweets “ovos moles”. Drive to Vila Nova de Gaia, nearby Oporto city.

Overnight Oporto.

Day 3 Oporto (25Km)

Oporto is the second city of Portugal and world heritage listed by UNESCO. See a living amphitheatre inviting us to make a morning visit to discover the riverside area, old houses, palaces, churches that history has made eternal and Port wine, known worldwide. Afternoon free.

Overnight Oporto.

Day 4 Oporto / Guimarães / Braga / Barcelos / Oporto

Breakfast at the hotel. Full day tour to the Minho, the northwest region of Portugal that offers natural green sceneries and the sparkling “green wine.” Starting at Guimaraes, the cradle of the nation, birthplace of the first king of Portugal, where, walking along the historic centre, for moments one is plunged back to the 15^th centuries. Drive to Braga known as the “Portuguese Rome” for its concentration of religious architecture, including the oldest Cathedral of the country and the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary with famous baroque stairway and gardens. Then we shall continue to Barcelos, an historical city rich in popular handicraft where the Galo de Barcelos (the rooster of Barcelos) legend was born becoming, the rooster, a Portuguese icon. Return to Oporto.

Overnight Oporto.

Day 5 Oporto / Amarante / Vila Real / Douro Valley / Lamego / Viseu / Urgeiriça (254km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Amarante, a pretty town proud of São Gonçalo known for the promotion of love and marriage. The monastery facing the river houses his tomb. In the lively bustling market you can find fruit, vegetables, chickens, cloths, and an immense variety of other popular items. Then drive to Vila Real, visiting the gardens of the manor house of Mateus. Its façade is well-known in the Portuguese rose wine bottles. Then we enter the Port Wine region, travelling through vineyards and breathtaking landscapes of the Douro Valley. Stop in Lamego, overlooked by one of Portugal’s most important shrines N.S. Remedios with its magnificent Baroque style staircase. Maybe you will try some of the local delicacies such as the local ham or the famous “Bola de Lamego” (a loaf baked in the oven with smoked ham). Continue to the mountainous hinterland to Viseu, centre of the Dão Vineyards and a city connected with Portugal’s oldest hero, Viriato, the Lusitanian chief. In the shadow of the Cathedral, narrow streets and doorways with coats of arms carved in granite make up the ancient town of Viseu. Along the centre we find a busy commercial area. Arrive in Urgeiriça.

Overnight Urgeiriça/Caldas da Felgueira.

Day 6 Urgeiriça / Bussaco / Tomar / Lisboa (365km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive through the heart of Portugal until we reach Bussaco, well known for the luxuriant forest, made up of a selection of rare trees and plants of exotic beauty, where a charming and romantic hotel was built, before a royal hunting lodge. We continue to Tomar. The development of the city is closely linked to the Order of the Templars, which received these lands in 1159 as a reward for the assistance they gave Dom Afonso Henriques (The First King of Portugal) in the Christian reconquest of the territory. It was Dom Gualdim Pais, the first Grand Master of the Order in Portugal, who founded the castle and the remarkable Convent of Christ inside. Enlarged and altered over the centuries, this retains the influences of various architectural styles; it is the centrepiece of the city and classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. We follow the journey until we arrive in Lisbon.

Overnight Lisbon.

Day 7 Lisboa / Sintra / Cabo da Roca / Cascais / Estoril (90km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Sintra for a luxury day. Visit the palace of Sintra and walk through this charming village. Enjoy the amazing view from the most western point of Europe (Cabo da Roca). Along the coast we pass by one of the most famous surfing beaches, the incredible Boca do Inferno, the cosmopolitan Cascais and the gardens of Estoril Casino. Return to Lisbon.

Overnight Lisbon.

Day 8 Lisboa / Evora (140km)

Spend the day discovering the town of Evora, mosaic of culture, history and traditions. Leaving Lisboa we cross the bridge over the river Tejo where by a beautiful and bucolic landscape of olive trees, cork oak trees and vineyards we arrive at Evora, world heritage listed by UNESCO. In the narrow streets of the whitewashed town of Evora we visit some of the most important monuments: the Roman Temple, the Romanesque-gothic Cathedral, St. Francis Church with the Bones Chapel and the University. At the market we see and feel the richness of products used to prepare one of the most elaborated and appreciated gastronomies of Portugal. Along the visit we also admire the diversity and authenticity of local handicraft with cork, ceramic and copper objects. Time for lunch. In the afternoon, free time for a better discovery of the city. Our suggestion: wine, cheese and olive oil gourmet proof.

Overnight Evora.

Day 9 Evora / Beja / Silves / Alvor (250km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Part of the morning at leisure in Evora, and then drive southward passing Beja where the highest tower of Portuguese Medieval castles dominates the town and the region. Crossing small mountains we enter in the Algarve region. Through fields of orange trees we arrive in Silves, the renowned town dominated by its red sandstone castle dating back mainly to Moorish times and by the memory of its former cork industry . Continue to the golden sans of the Algarve passing by Praia da Rocha to Alvor.

Overnight Alvor.

Day 10 Alvor / Ponta da Piedade / Sagres / Cabo de Sao Vicente / Lagos / Alvor (140km)

Breakfast at the Hotel. The Algarve has the call of the sea that led to the discovery of the New World. Stop in Ponta da Piedade and admire the magnificent view over the Atlantic Ocean and cliffs whose shapes have been sculpted by the erosive action of both the sea and time. Continue to Sagres, a fishing port, for a visit to the fortress where the mythical navigation school was, forever linked with the presence of Prince Henry the Navigator during the first days of Atlantic navigation and the discovery of the African coast. Proceed along the cliffs to Cabo Sao Vicente, the most south-western point in Europe. The city of Lagos, a cosmopolitan town with a marina and fishing port, where you can taste delicious Algarve dishes, such as fish and shellfish cooked in a copper pan (cataplana), never forgetting the fine sweets such as the famous marzipans, almond and fig cakes. Return to the hotel. Afternoon at leisure to appreciate the warm sea waters of Algarve.

Overnight Alvor.

Day 11 Alvor / Setubal / Serra da Arrabida / Lisbon (330km)

A last look at the water while traveling along the coast, to say farewell to the Algarve. The return trip to Lisbon will take you to the city of Setubal, a major port and industrial centre on the north bank of Sado river estuary. Then the scenic route over the Arrabida mountain range, an area preserved as a natural park, with amazing scenery and unique vegetation at the gates of Lisbon. Savour the sweeping views of the Troia Peninsula. Crossing the bridge over tejo river. Arrival to Lisbon.

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